No Place for Inaction Under A Dictatorship

Patria has been presented as a fairly inactive character in the revolution as all her sisters have taken action to become part of the regime against Trujillio. As the sister who seems to have struggled more with keeping her faith intact, she has trusted that God would not test her soul as he did when her unborn baby had died. She had claimed that she could not survive another test, yet things only seem to become worse for her as she tries to rely on her spirit and faith to survive, what she refers to, hell on earth. What seems to have finally pushed her to become more active in the fight against the dictator was when her retreat group was attacked in the mountains, causing deaths and wounded many (pg 160). Despite her providing a place for her sisters and friends to have their secret meetings on her land, witnessing the death of a young man as they both stared at each other was something she could not live with without feeling that his life was not a waste (pg 162). As Patria's perspective was revealed to us, it became apparent that she would become a main member of the revolution group, and her transformation leaves certain questions in the air about how her morals have changes, and if at all, her faith has wavered.

I cannot help but to draw similarities with Patria's role in the fight against the dictatorship and the United State's role in WWII. As the narratives explains, Patria was passive in the revolution, but she still helped by allowing her sisters use her land as a meeting place, and she even agreed to take care of their children if anything were to happen to them. As mentioned previously, it is not until she had experienced the horrors of the regime and had her spirits broken once again, that she finally decides to become Mariposa #3 (176). Somewhat similarly, the US was aiding the Allied forced by sending supplies overseas, and did not become part of the war until the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This leads to the concluding remark that no matter how hard Patria tried to pray against Trujillio's dictatorship, she ultimately had to become more involved to console the tragedy she had felt on the retreat.


Questions: How does Patria's transformation from a passive aid to an active member of the revolution effect her faith?

Why is Patria the first to be entrusted with the children of her sisters, and not their mother or other trusted friends?